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Is this professional or unprofessional in script formatting?

H

harmonica44

I was reading about how it looks unprofessional to have (cont'd), in a script, when a character's dialogue is continued from before. But a lot of scripts use that though, so I was wondering if it looks pro or amateur by today's standards if that's the case?
 
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You don't need it because it is obvious when dialog is continued. Think of how obnoxious it would be when reading a novel, where every page is marked continued. This is why it is often frowned upon. You can use it, leave it out, or only use it when a sentence ends. As... if a sentence is broken, it is obvious it will continue.

PS. If you are writing for your own production choose what you like best, it doesn't matter. It is for YOU!
 
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indietalk said:
You don't need it because it is obvious when dialog is continued. Think of how obnoxious it would be when reading a novel, where every page is marked continued. This is why it is often frowned upon. You can use it, leave it out, or only use it when a sentence ends. As... if a sentence is broken, it is obvious it will continue.

PS. If you are writing for your own production choose what you like best, it doesn't matter. It is for YOU!
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True, but I want it to look well written for others who read it as well, to make a good impression. I still want to learn to do what is best of course... I actually thought this too, it's so obvious. But why is it that past scripts have this,and why is it that the screenwriting program puts one in every time, if it's obnoxious?
 
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You can put it, you can not put it...

That was the general consensus of both answers to your post.
 
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why is it that the screenwriting program puts one in every time, if it's obnoxious?
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Time for a Pro Tip: Screenwriting software does an analysis on scripts. If a script has structural errors or typos, it adds those (cont'd).
 
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In defence of H44: I do experience the same thing in Final Draft: within the same scene it automaticly adds CONT'D when the say character has lines after some description of action.

I find it annoying that is does this as I think there can be a huge difference between keep taking while doing things or doing things in silence and do things.
However, I don't wonder about whether ot not it looks professional: it annoys my from a story point of view.

@ H44: stop worrying about 'looking professional'.
Be a professional, have an professonal attitude and it doesn't matter anymore how you look.
 
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